


Paradoxical

by SincerelyChaos



Series: Embodiment Cognition [3]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Awkward Tension, M/M, Neurology & Neuroscience, Sporadic Fucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-25
Updated: 2017-03-25
Packaged: 2018-10-10 12:23:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 833
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10437684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincerelyChaos/pseuds/SincerelyChaos
Summary: In hindsight, John really shouldn't have been surprised to find that Sherlock's post-orgasmic reactions were a bit paradoxical.





	

**Author's Note:**

> The third ficlet in a series of stand alone ficlets exploring the correlation and cause and effect between mind and body. And then there's the question of this thing between them...

 

 

Sherlock’s reactions are, for all intents and purposes, not always similar to those of most other people, so John knows that he shouldn’t be surprised.

Still, as he’s slowly regaining his breath and his thoughts starts to aline a bit more coherently, John finds that he somehow hadn’t expected this particular paradoxical reaction of Sherlock’s to continue.

A minute and a half ago, John had breathlessly slumped down onto the mattress, feeling it shift seconds later as Sherlock let go of the headboard and landed on his belly, his knees no longer supporting him.

Now, no more than a minute later, Sherlock fills his lungs with a last, deep breath and John feels the characteristic give of the mattress as Sherlock gets up to his feet, leaving the room.

Once again, John finds himself left to cooling sheets and his own drying sweat after Sherlock has taken off, eager to spend his now seemingly rebooted energy on something more worthwhile than his sluggish, post-orgasmic flatmate.

 

One night a few months back, before any of this -  whatever _this_ might be - had started, John had shoved two of his own, almost forgotten Nitrazepam into Sherlock’s hand and told him to “just fucking take them”. It had been an unusually resilient fit of insomnia, even by Sherlock standards, and in his severely sleep deprived state, Sherlock hadn’t questioned exactly what John was giving him.

The effect of the narcotics had, however, been nothing like what John had hoped it would be. Instead of falling asleep, Sherlock had practically vibrated with over-exhausted energy as he carried out conversations that seemed to involve at least two people that weren’t actually physically present, all whilst attempting to clean the flat up in a decidedly counterproductive manner.

“Paradoxical reactions to benzodiazepines,” Mycroft had said a few days later, glaring at John with an air of disapproval, as if this possibility was something John should have somehow taken into account before handing his brother sleeping pills.

 

The word “paradoxical” also seems to be an apt description of Sherlock’s post-orgasmic reactions.

Minutes ago, John had been gripping Sherlock’s hips far too hard, almost breathless from the sensation of moving inside Sherlock’s body for the first time. He had heard uneven breaths turn into groans and had felt Sherlock’s shivering muscles as he came, his body clenching around John in a way that had made John’s own movements even rougher and more frantic until he finally came, spilling into Sherlock. Now, John is listening to the sounds of floorboards creaking and cupboards being opened whilst looking out over his own naked body and the soiled and rumpled sheets of Sherlock’s bed, illuminated only by the depressing, foggy evening light from the window.

Where John’s orgasms leave him hazy from prolactin-release, Sherlock instead seems to ride on a combination of dopamine high and his usual restlessness, making it impossible to remain still for more than the few seconds required to get his breath back.

With Sherlock, the afterglow isn’t what John is used to. No, with Sherlock, John’s slow, foggy brain is left trying to figure out if especially morbid crime scenes and the rare home cooked meals John is sometimes presented with are Sherlock’s version of courting, or if this is all there is; a frenetic and paradoxical release of physical needs followed by a rapid return to status quo. After one and a half month of sporadic but spectacular shags, in between which they don’t mention this, John is beginning to realise that this is the most likely conclusion.

John tenses up momentarily as he hears Sherlock’s steps hastily approaching the bedroom, and manages to cover himself with the cold, damp sheet before the door is flung open.

“You’re not dressed,” Sherlock says, his restlessness and excitement positively reeking. “Up you go, I’ve just identified the only possible suspect that could have made it as far as Kensington before the store closed!”

Clearly, sex is not as adverse to higher cognitive functions for Sherlock as it is for John.

It’s hard not to feel just a bit resentful during moments like these, John thinks, adjusting his ruffled hair and trying to get his brain to connect what Sherlock just said to the case they’ve been working on for days.

As an afterthought, Sherlock stops to look at John, taking in his no doubt rumpled appearance, and for a second, a smile ghosts over his lips. Then, Sherlock gives John a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it wink, followed by his voice, still hurried, but now suddenly half an octave lower.  

“Bring your gun.”

It’s been a long time coming, but in the light of what he’s feeling right now, John recognises that he can no longer deny that he might be experiencing some rather paradoxical reactions of his own.

“Alright, you git,” John mutters, but he’s already throwing his clothes on, trying not to read too much into the warmth spreading inside of him as he gets his gun, following Sherlock out into the freezing London night.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Paradoxical reactions according to [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradoxical_reaction):
> 
> A paradoxical reaction or paradoxical effect is an effect of medical treatment, usually a drug, opposite to the effect which would normally be expected. An example of a paradoxical reaction is pain caused by a pain relief medication.
> 
> [An article](http://mentalhealthdaily.com/2013/04/24/why-do-men-feel-sleepy-after-sex-prolactin-oxytocin-vasopressin-et-al/) on the (typical) male post-orgasmic reaction.
> 
> (Thank you lurkeypants_mcgeefor alerting me that unlike Sweden, most countries don't classify Zolpidem as either a benzodiazepine nor a narcotic. I have now changed it to Nitrazepam for accuracy for any non-Swedish reader...)


End file.
